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March 2, 2007 (Ithaca, NY) - The Ithaca Downtown Partnership will hold a special ribbon cutting this afternoon for Eth’nyk, a new downtown fashion boutique, and the first clothing store in New York State to feature apparel from “Bamboosa”, a South Carolina based sweatshop-free company that makes clothing out of bamboo fiber. This is great news for eco-conscious consumers as bamboo, like other natural fibers such as hemp, is anti-bacterial, breathable and 100% biodegradable. Most notably, though, bamboo is nature's most sustainable resource.

Eth’nyk’s owner, Stella McGovern, saw Downtown Ithaca as “the perfect place” to open her boutique, which officially opened October 21, 2006. Originally from India, McGovern moved to Ithaca from Long Island in October. She picked Ithaca “because of the local colleges, its proximity to other universities, the eco-village and the natural cemetery. And Ithaca looked like a good place to raise my kids.”

Eth’nyk carries bohemian style clothing and accessories, and much of McGovern’s current inventory is made up of items left from an e-commerce website she managed before moving to Ithaca. She built up her inventory over a two year period, and then added Bamboosa because of her interest in eco-friendly merchandise.

Bamboo may just be “the next big thing” in the fashion world as well. The New York Times, Newsweek, and Environmental News Magazine have all dedicated prime space to the rise of bamboo as a fashion textile, and Martha Stewart touted Bamboosa on her television show in October. Bamboo fiber does have remarkable properties. Not only is it softer than cotton, it has a natural sheen to the surface and feels more like silk or cashmere. And unlike other anti-microbial fabrics, which require a chemical treatment, bamboo fiber clothing requires no harmful chemicals. Bamboo apparel is comfortable, thermal regulating and will keep you cooler, drier, warmer and odor free.

It’s also affordable. McGovern intentionally keeps her prices low to encourage repeat business. “Women’s shirts range from $20 to $32. Men’s shirts range from $23 to $25. The most expensive bamboo items we carry are the yoga pants for $36. The styles are so great for layering. People just can’t get enough of it!”


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